Chemical Reaction
by Lady Buttercup
Summary: HermioneCharlie. That should be enough to make you read this. I mean seriously, HermioneCharlie! One shot
1. Part I

**A/N: How many Charlie/Hermionefics are there? I meanhonestly, not that many. And mines special becausemine is just that cool.**

**BTW,Charlie is 24 where as Hermione is 17. I looked it up, I did the math, I hope I'm right. I just felt like mentioning that.**

**Chemical Reaction**

_I can't stop thinking about him; I can't stop dreaming about him; I just can't help myself. I'm in love; head-over-heels, take-my-heart-it's-yours, you-have-the-key-to-my-heart love. After all of these years am I finally going to experience the one thing everyone brags about? Am I finally experiencing love?_

_Of course, who am I kidding? Him? Love me? I thought I was a smart girl but apparently not if I believe those notions._

_But I can't help but think that those smiles and winks secretly mean something else.

* * *

_

"You see what I mean?" Hermione Granger exclaimed as she took the diary from her best Muggle friend, Danielle Pembroke.

"Hey! I wasn't done!" Danielle, otherwise known as Dan, said, making a grab for the plain, black diary.

"You aren't reading anything else. I just wanted you to read that one entry so that you fully understand what I'm feeling," Hermione explained as she placed the diary amongst all her other books.

"You're obsessed with him, Hermione," Dan laughed, picking up a brush on her friend's nightstand. She started to brush her long, raven hair as she stared up at Hermione.

"I'm not obsessed with him. If I was obsessed I'd have a lock of his hair and know his exact weight," Hermione retaliated as she sat next to Dan on her bed.

"Please, you probably do have it written down somewhere; that's why you wouldn't let me read the rest of your diary," Dan said sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"I do not!" Hermione laughed, playfully shoving her friend. "I'm not that obsessed."

Silence filled the room as the two friends got lost in their own thoughts.

"So what's he like?" Dan finally asked.

"He's so sweet and kind. He's really handsome too and is really muscular. His hair is red, shaggy, and I just want to run my fingers through it so bad," Hermione gushed. "He's funny, courageous, and outgoing but looks awkward in certain situations. I could spend all day talking about him."

"Please don't," Dan laughed. "He sounds like a real man."

"Oh he is and so much more," Hermione sighed, leaning back on her bed.

"You are in love Hermione," Dan said in a shocked voice.

"Do you really think so?" Hermione asked, propping herself up on one arm. "You don't think it's a silly crush?"

"Well from what I've read about love in magazines, it sounds like it," Dan shrugged.

"Thanks Dan," Hermione smiled, "that makes me feel much better."

"So how old is he?" Dan questioned.

"He's," Hermione started, looking up at the ceiling of her room, "older," she finally said, feeling that that was the best word to describe him.

Dan looked at her friend strangely as if waiting for her to elaborate but when she didn't, Dan settled for that answer.

"I wish you didn't have to go to boarding school," Dan sighed. "Then we'd be able to do this everyday and not just during the summer."

"Yeah, I miss it too," Hermione said. "But this is going to be my last year so then we'll have all the time in the world."

"Yeah except you aren't going to college like normal people; your stupid school had to offer full college courses and you had to be stupid enough to take them," Dan said.

"Sorry," Hermione blushed. "I'll visit you at college all the time though."

"And you'll go to wild parties with me!" Dan exclaimed as she started to jump up and down on the bed.

"Dan, listen to yourself; me at a wild party? That's like you studying," Hermione laughed. She held up her hands to ward off Dan's playful slap.

"That's mean; I do too study," Dan said defensively. "So when are you going to see this hottie again?" Dan asked, turning the subject away from her studies.

"Next weekend," Hermione said, a smile growing on her lips, "at his brother's wedding."

"You have to let me do your make-up and stuff!" Dan exclaimed. "What are you going to wear?"

Hermione laughed at her friend's enthusiasm. Only she would be excited about getting dressed up, Hermione was only excited about seeing him again.

* * *

When Dan was done with Hermione, she was positively glowing. Hermione was wearing at-the-knees, white peasant shirt and a solid reddish-pink tank with lace trimming. Since Hermione didn't wear much make-up, and Dan knew that, she only had a little on which made her natural beauty glow.

The wedding between Bill and Fleur was to take place at the Burrow. It was to be a small wedding in the garden, family and close friends only which included the Weasleys, Hermione, Harry, Remus, and Tonks.

When Hermione reached the house, Harry was leaning against the wall next to the door.

"Harry!" she exclaimed, throwing her arms around him and giving him a peck on the cheek.

"Hey Hermione," Harry said back, hugging her back before letting go. "You might not want to go in there," he warned, gesturing toward the door.

"Why not?" Hermione asked, confused.

"It's a little hectic in there. Mrs. Weasley is enlisting everyone to cook and set up and Fleur can't find her headdress. I slipped out as soon as I could."

"Maybe I'll just stay out here," Hermione laughed. "So how's Bill?"

"He's doing a lot better than the healers said he would," Harry said. "He's got cuts all over him that'll never heal but they aren't that noticeable. The only weird thing is him eating raw meat. Everyone gets sick when they watch him."

"That's good," Hermione said. "Except for the whole raw meat thing."

A loud shout was heard from inside and then the door burst open.

"Hermione!" Ron exclaimed, shocked to see her.

"Hermione's here?" Mrs. Weasley said from inside the house. Mrs. Weasley's head popped out of the door and soon her plump body followed. "Hermione, dear! I'm so glad you could make it," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed, enveloping Hermione into a tight hug. "Come in, come in, no need to stand out here." Mrs. Weasley ushered the three teens inside and to the living room where Remus and Tonks were sitting. "Just sit here, we'll all go outside in a little bit, wouldn't want all of you to sweat to death before the wedding has even started," Mrs. Weasley laughed as she walked out of the living room and upstairs.

The living room was quiet as Hermione sat between Harry and Ron, too close to Ron for comfort. Remus and Tonks were caught in their own little world, looking at each and smiling. Hermione suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

"I'm going to go get a glass of water," Hermione said, standing up from her seat on the couch.

"I'll help," Ron exclaimed, a little too quickly. He popped off the couch and led Hermione to the kitchen. Reluctantly Hermione followed him.

In the kitchen Ron reached up and took a glass out of the cupboard. Just when he was about to fill it with water for Hermione, he was stopped. The glass was frozen in mid-air. Ron wrapped his hands around in an attempt to dislodge it.

"Let go!" Ron exclaimed, pulling on the glass harder.

"Bill wants to talk to you."

Ron and Hermione turned around to see Charlie leaning against the doorway, smirking with his wand raised.

"I'm helping Hermione right now," Ron said, letting go of the glass.

"I'm sure she can get a glass of water by herself, little bro," Charlie said, flicking the wand. The glass moved towards Hermione, bumping her on the arm. She took it, blushing.

Ron left the room, muttering under his breath which left Hermione alone in the room with Charlie. Awkward silence filled the room.

"So," Hermione started, breaking the silence, "are you excited about the wedding?"

"I don't know. I guess I never thought Bill would be first to be married. He's too wild; I always thought it would be me, personally," Charlie laughed as he walked past Hermione to get a glass of his own. "Are you excited?"

"I've never been to a wizard wedding. I don't know what to expect. What's it like?" Hermione asked.

"Well, you know how Muggles have wedding rings as a sign as being together? Well we don't have that. They're bonded by a spell, though some couples will use rings just as a symbol. It's also a lot shorter than a Muggle wedding," Charlie explained.

"Are Bill and Fleur going to have rings?"

"Yeah; at first they weren't going to but then Fleur found these rings that she decided she couldn't live without, so now they are. Bill's such a pushover," Charlie laughed.

"Do they have receptions like at a Muggle wedding, with food and dancing?" Hermione asked.

"Usually they do, but this is small wedding so we'll just eat and talk," Charlie said, filling his glass with water. "Ron's disappointed because he won't get to dance with someone," Charlie said, glancing at Hermione who blushed and rolled his eyes.

"He's not much of dancer. He'd probably break my toes," Hermione said sarcastically. "Of course, I'm not too good either."

"Aw, you can't be that bad, not as bad as Ron anyways," Charlie laughed, leaning against the counter.

"Mm, I'm not sure about that," Hermione said, blushing again.

"How would you describe slow dancing?" Charlie questioned.

"Swaying back and forth," Hermione said sheepishly. Charlie laughed.

"Maybe you do need some help," Charlie laughed. He pushed himself away from the counter and came up to Hermione.

Hermione bit her lip in an attempt to keep from smiling too big. The butterflies in her stomach that had been acting up so much lately suddenly went into overtime.

"Put your left hand on my shoulder," Charlie instructed, putting his right hand on the curve of her hip and grabbing her right hand with his left. Hermione looked up to see Charlie's brown eyes staring into her own. She suddenly realized he was only a little bit taller than her; not like Ron at all. His big, calloused hands felt rough in her small, smooth ones. Before she could help herself, Hermione let out a small sigh.

"Dancing is more than swaying. It's about feeling the music and moving with it. You and your partner are one, if you aren't in sync, then the dance is off," Charlie continued as he slowly started to rock back and forth and move in a circle.

"I didn't know dancing was so complicated," Hermione laughed quietly.

"A lot of people don't realize it," Charlie whispered.

The unlikely couple slowly turned on the spot, their eyes never leaving each other. Slowly the noise from the room subsided until nothing was heard except the other's breathing. The room disappeared before them until all that was seen was the other's face and sparkling eyes. Without even realizing it, the two had stopped moving and just stood there.

And ever so slightly, without even realizing it, they moved closer.

The world came rushing back, though, when a small cough sounded from the doorway.

Hermione and Charlie quickly pulled away and saw Ron at the door with a hurt expression on his face. He glanced between Hermione, the love of his life, and Charlie, his older brother that he had always looked up to.

* * *

_Ron saw us and flipped out. He'll just have to understand that I like Charlie, not him. But does Charlie like me? The way he acted in the kitchen sure made it seem like he likes me. I'm too scared to talk to him and he didn't even look at me after that 'moment'. _

_I just don't want to get hurt._

**A/N: So? Is it good? Tell meee!**


	2. Part II Exceptional

**A/N: Drum roll please.**

**Now presenting, the long-awaited(REALLY long awaited), much desired for sequel to Chemical Reaction!!!**

**Hold the applause please, haha. Yes, yes it is finally the sequel to Chemical Reaction. I have a few problems with it but I'm still pretty happy with how it turned out. I'll just let you read then I'll talk later.**

**Oh but I will say this, I got the title and some plot lines from the song Exceptional by JoJo.**

**Ok, read on!**

**Exceptional**

Hermione Granger willed the tears to go back into her eyes, but they refused to listen. She sniffed as quietly as she could just as another tear rolled down her cheek.

How could she be such a fool? How could she be so young and naïve? So stupid?

"He's seven years older than me, who was I kidding?" Hermione whispered.

"Shh, it's ok Hermione," Danielle, Dan, Pembroke whispered back, brushing Hermione's thick, wavy hair.

Hermione and Dan were at Hermione's house a week after Bill and Fleur's wedding. The moment Hermione got home, she called Dan to tell her everything that had happened; from her and Charlie dancing to where he pointedly ignored her the rest of the evening. She had cried into the phone for over an hour until Dan finally promised to come over as soon as possible, which ended up being a week later.

So here they were, Dan sitting on the bed with Hermione's head in her lap. It was past midnight but neither of them could sleep.

"I was so stupid though!" Hermione cried, lifting her head out of Dan's lap to face her friend. "I was naïve and stupid! We were so close to kissing, and to think I would've let him kiss me to."

"Hermione, you're not stupid, you're the smartest girl I've ever met. So you made a guy mistake; everyone makes them, trust me. Besides, he's obliviously not good enough for you if he's going to dump you like that," Dan said, trying to comfort her friend the best she could. The problem was that she had never been through something like this so she didn't know what to say.

"But Dan, I liked him so much," Hermione moaned, lying her head back on Dan's lap. "And I'm being so stupid about it. Why do I have to be such an obsessive girl?"

"You're not obsessive, you're being a teenager. That's what girls at our age do, they think about boys constantly." Dan said. "Besides, I acted like this before, except the guy I liked didn't even notice me."

"Oh Dan! Here I am worrying about my petty, nonexistent love-life and I've barely asked you about your life. I feel so terrible right now. Tell me everything," Hermione cried, throwing herself at Dan, hugging her.

"Hermione, it's nothing. It happened at the beginning of the school year. I'm over it," Dan explained as if it was nothing.

"But I feel terrible, tell me everything," Hermione replied.

Dan rolled her eyes and sighed but smiled. The girls got comfortable on the bed and Dan began to tell Hermione about her past year.

* * *

"Hermione! Get down here!" 

Hermione raised her head from her bed and looked around the room with bleary eyes. After Dan and Hermione talked for hours, they fell asleep. Now it was the middle of the afternoon and Hermione's mother was yelling at her.

"Hermione!"

"I'm coming," Hermione groaned, sitting up from her bed. Dan rolled over into Hermione's spot as she got up. "You better move when I get back," she complained to the unconscious girl.

"What's the matter mum?" Hermione asked as she trudged into the kitchen where her mother was waiting. Her mum didn't answer but pointed to the window where a large, white owl was waiting.

"Hedwig!" Hermione shrieked as she hurried to open the window to let in the owl. Hedwig landed gracefully on the table and released a letter.

Hermione quickly opened the letter and read it, absentmindedly petting Hedwig.

"Who's is from sweetheart?" Hermione's mum asked.

"Harry," Hermione answered. "He, well Ginny, wants me to come over for the rest of the summer. I'd get my books with them at Diagon Alley and then just stay with them still the start of the year. I'm supposed to send yes or no with Hedwig and they'll come pick me up."

"You don't sound very excited," Hermione's mum noted.

"What?" Hermione looked up at her mum.

"You don't sound very excited about going over there. They are your best friends, correct?"

"Oh, of course! No, I'm excited. I'll get packed right away," Hermione said, rummaging through the drawers for a pen. "That was a 'yes', right?" Her mum nodded and Hermione wrote yes on the paper along with a day and time they could pick her up at. She gave the letter to Hedwig and the owl took off through the window. Hermione watched her for a moment and then rushed upstairs to wake up Dan.

"Dan, get up right now. We have a problem," Hermione cried to Dan's sleeping form as she began to fly across the room, putting books and clothes into the trunk at the end of her bed.

"What?" Dan mumbled from her position on the bed.

"I'm going back to his house. I can't go back there; I can't see him," Hermione said.

"What? Why are you going back to his house?"

"I'm friends with his brother and sister and their friend. They're inviting me back over to their house before the school year starts to get supplies. Charlie's bound to still be there from the wedding. I can't do it," Hermione explained, sitting down at the foot of her bed.

"If you don't go over there, it'll show he's won, that he's broken you down. You have to," Dan said, sitting up.

"But Dan," Hermione moaned.

"Hermione, you can do this," Dan said, taking Hermione's hands in hers. "He's just a boy, a stupid selfish boy who isn't good enough for you. Just keep repeating that to yourself every time you see him."

"He's just a stupid selfish boy who isn't good enough for me," Hermione repeated, smiling at her friend.

"Exactly," Dan said brightly, standing up and moving to Hermione's closet. "So what are you going to wear?"

"Wear? What do you mean what am I going to wear?" Hermione asked.

"Well you have to show him that you don't care about what he did to you. You have to be strong and look strong," Dan explained.

"No, I'll look like myself. What I'm wearing or how I look shouldn't change anything," Hermione argued, glaring at Dan. Dan glared back but finally turned away, shaking her head.

"Whatever, he's your guys."

"No, he's not; now help me put these clothes in my trunk neatly."

* * *

Hermione sat next to the window in the Burrow, silently reading a book that she had read a million times before. She needed something to do, though. Anything to prevent her from looking at Charlie. 

Slowly, though, Hermione felt her own eyes betray her and lift up off the page and toward the boy seated on the couch across from her. He was playing a game of exploding snap with Harry and by the looks of it; he was going to lose after he placed his next card.

"No!"

True to Hermione's word, the cards fell from their pyramid amid loud snaps and small explosions. The look of dismay and shock on Charlie's face was too much for Hermione and she let out a laugh. Harry and Charlie looked up as if just noticing her.

"Hermione, I didn't realize you were still in the room," Harry said, laughing at himself.

"Um, yeah," Hermione said, smiling a little. "I was just reading."

"I hope we weren't disturbing you," Charlie said. Hermione fixed her eyes upon the older male, hoping she was giving him her coldest glare.

"You weren't," Hermione replied curtly after a moment had passed. Hermione immediately returned to her book but was unable to concentrate. Tears threatened to well up in her eyes and spill over. _It's like nothing even happened_, she thought to herself as she pulled her book up to her face to block the two boys from her vision. _He doesn't even care_.

"What are you guys doing in here?"

Hermione looked over top her book and saw Ron looking at his brother and friend. He didn't even glance in Hermione's direction.

"Just playing exploding snap," Harry replied. "Do you want to join?"

"No, that's ok," Ron answered, eyeing Charlie.

"No, play. I was leaving anyways," Charlie said, standing up. Apparently he noticed his brother's look. Charlie left the living room but not before giving a quick glance to Hermione.

Ron looked after his brother then went to sit in his place. He still hadn't acknowledged Hermione's presence.

Silence filled the room and the tension increased. It finally became too much for Hermione. "I'm going to see what Ginny's doing," Hermione said awkwardly. Both boys nodded, focused on their game.

Hermione got up from her seat next to the window and wandered out in the hallway and soon ended up in the kitchen. She stopped short, though, when she saw Charlie with his back to her. Trying to be as quiet as possible, Hermione tried to walk out before he noticed her.

Too late.

Charlie turned around with his mouth full of cookies. Crumbs spotted his mouth and his cheeks bulged from the cookies. He looked so innocent and cute Hermione couldn't help but laugh. Charlie blushed and swallowed what was in his mouth with difficultly.

"I thought you were my mum for a moment. She would've gotten mad at me for eating before supper," Charlie confessed, scratching behind his ear. He was nervous.

"Yeah," Hermione said, looking down at her feet. She didn't want to be here. She didn't want to be here talking to Charlie. She didn't even want to be in the same room.

"Hermione, I-"

"I have to-"

They both started to say something but then stopped.

"Go ahead," Hermione said politely.

"Hermione, I-" Charlie started again, but then stopped again. "I have to go," he said quickly and then rushed out the side door.

Hermione stared at the door Charlie left through. That wasn't supposed to happen. She was supposed to walk out on him, not the other way around! Hermione fixed a glare on her face and followed Charlie outside.

Not really paying attention to where she was going, Hermione rushed outside, but as it turned out, Charlie was directly outside the door and Hermione ran into him.

After recovering from the shock of running into Charlie, Hermione returned to glaring at him.

"I have one thing to say to you," Hermione said, holding up her hand to stop him from talking. "Don't ever play with a girl's heart again or I will personally hurt you. Understand?"

Charlie stared at Hermione with an open mouth. "What?"

"You heard me. Oh, and on second thought, don't ever speak to me again," Hermione added, making to move past the muscular male.

"Wait," Charlie said, grabbing Hermione's wrist to stop her. "What are you talking about?"

"Are you deaf?" Hermione asked, staring at Charlie's hand around her wrist. Before she could stop herself, butterflies started to dance inside her stomach. "You hurt me and I don't want you to ever hurt a girl again."

"Hermione, I-" Charlie started again. Again, he was unable to finish. Hermione continued to stare at him, waiting for him to continue. "Look, Hermione," Charlie started again, "I'm sorry if I hurt you, I didn't mean to. You have to believe me."

"Why?"

"Why? Hermione, you have to think of all the reasons why I couldn't do what I wanted to do," Charlie said, throwing his hands up in the air. "Use you're brain, Hermione, your smart, fact-filled brain. Use your common sense."

"I don't care about common sense right now. You still didn't have to hurt me," Hermione said as unwanted tears began to pool in her eyes.

"I didn't want to hurt you; that's why I stopped. I couldn't kiss you Hermione, that would've led to something else which would've led to more. I can't do that with, to you."

"Why not? Am I too young? Too naïve? Too much of a bushy-haired, know-it-all nerd?" Hermione cried. "Charlie."

Charlie looked at Hermione with a smile that played on his lips. "Hermione," Charlie said, a small laugh escaping. "None of thoughts has ever crossed my mind when I think of you. Want to know what I think when I hear your name? I think of your intelligence. Your ability to know something others will search a hundred books for. Your beauty. Yes, your beauty. The beauty that shines from the inside out because you don't care what others think of you. But not just that beauty, your physical beauty as well. I love the way your eyes crinkle when you're smiling, like now, or when you know something no one else knows. But also the way you chew your lip and twirl your hair when you're nervous and don't want to show it. And I especially love the way your hair curls.

"I also think of your kindness. The way you stick with your friends no matter what. Ron talks about you constantly and what you've done to help Harry even though it has put yourself in danger. You always think of your friends first. When I hear your name, Hermione, the first word that comes to mind is exceptional, because you are. You are like no other girl I have ever met and that kind of scares me. I've been through my fair share of girls, I'll admit but none of them have ever made me feel the way you make me feel."

"Then why are you doing this?" Hermione asked, absentmindedly wiping away a tear. "Why did you ignore me, why are you brushing me off?"

"Ok first of all, I'm not brushing you off, and second of all I'm scared! In case you didn't know, my brother loves you. What's he going to think of me when he finds out the way I feel about you. Because I do love you Hermione, I've never felt like this before but he's my brother," Charlie explained, wiping away the tears that had fallen from Hermione's eye with his thumb.

"I don't care about your brother," Hermione shook her head. "He's just my friend, nothing more. I care about you. Only you."

"Hermione, I can't," Charlie whispered quietly as the sentence drifted off unfinished.

Both stood facing each other as the sun began its slow descent toward the ground. They stared into each other's eyes, unable to look away but knowing they'd have to eventually; knowing that once they did, it would be over and there was nothing either of them could do. Both knew it wouldn't, couldn't work but fire and passion continued to burn in their eyes. The want, the desire, the love was there but neither could make a move to act on it. Because once they did, there would be no turning back and they couldn't go down that road.

"It's not fair," Hermione whispered, breaking the silence.

"It never is," Charlie whispered back, grabbing Hermione's wrist again and pulling her close to him. The couple's breath mixed as they stood close together. The only question that remained was who would take the plunge?

* * *

Ron peeked out the kitchen window, grimacing. He couldn't believe it. This was the third time he had looked out the window within the past ten seconds, but he still couldn't believe it. 

He had lost.

He had officially and finally lost.

**A/N: Was it all you hoped for and more? Do you like the ending? I was going to add more about Hermione being happy was a consolation for Ron buuut I like this better. I love ending fics like this, haha.**

**Hermione was kind of off-character for the first part but I think I got her as in-character as possible with this coupling by the end.**

**Hmmm. **

**Ok, I better have 50+ reviews for this whole Chemical Reaction fic since I have so many watchers and so many people wanted a sequel. You hear? 50+. 60+ if you want to .**

**And I offically draw the line here. I don't see how I can write a third one, if I really thought about it, maybe, but I don't think it'll work. I've completed the circle by writing this, please don't ask for more because there is no more.**

**Oh, and I hope you guys all figured out that Hermione and Charlie are kissing when Ron looks out the window. I think I made that fairly obvious, if not, it's easily assumable. The only question remains...who made the plunge??? What do you think?**

**You better Review!**


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